Very soon he would officially introduce himself and their new relationship would begin. Right now she was being prepped … seasoned. When they met, she would be so happy, glad to see him. Grateful. He would be her hero, her savior.
Anticipation thrummed to a fever pitch. His fingers shaking with the need to touch, he pressed a fingertip to her face. Traced the single teardrop rolling down her cheek. He could almost feel the wetness. Feel her shaking beneath him. Feel the sobs of terror that would give way to gratitude. And then, in those pretty hazel eyes, he would see the culmination of his hard work and patience … pure submission. What ever he wanted, whenever he wanted it, she would submit and be grateful. A shudder went through him as his hand went to his crotch.
A knock on the door of his office had him slamming the file closed, almost crying out his disappointment. Couldn’t a man enjoy some peace and quiet even in his own home?
“Daddy?”
William huffed a long-suffering sigh. No doubt another preteen crisis … another dramatic event in his youngest daughter’s life.
Closing the file on his beauty wasn’t easy, but he had no choice. He got up and hurriedly left the vault.
“Daddy? Are you in there?”
“Yes. Just a moment.”
The door handle rattled. “Can I talk to you?”
“Give me a moment, Leanne.”
William prided himself on being a good father, always being available for his children. Assuring himself that his secret treasure was safely hidden, he took several breaths to compose himself. Just one look at that young, supple body and he’d been consumed by lust. How would he feel when he touched her for the first time? He groaned … his hand went back to his crotch.
“Daddy!”
Jerked back to reality, William turned the knob of the office door. His daughter and her sisters and brothers were his priority. That’s why he’d gone into his side business in the first place. Sampling and enjoying his product was just an added benefit. Admittedly a very pleasurable added benefit.
Pulling open the door, he looked down with fatherly indulgence at his youngest daughter … the face of innocence.
“What’s wrong, sweetie?”
Skylar curled up on her side and stared at the bare wall of the hotel room. Gabe had dropped her off an hour or so ago. At least he’d shown some semblance of concern by checking the entire suite of rooms, waiting until her food arrived from room service, and giving her the stern warning “Don’t let anyone in this room for any reason.” And then, “I’ll see you in the morning.” And he’d left.
Rolling over on her back, she stared up at the ceiling. She really should get some sleep. Her body still ached from the rough handling she’d endured, not to mention the dull headache she’d had since being given those damned drugs. Tomorrow would be a long day. Flying always exhausted her, even when she wasn’t recovering from a trauma.
She closed her suddenly stinging eyes. Trauma? What a riot. More like an avalanche of horrendous events.
Where was Kendra? Was she even alive? If only Skylar herself hadn’t been sold to someone else. Her damnable fame had finally paid off, but she resented it. If they had kept her, would she have been put with Kendra? Could she have saved them both?
What was done was done. The most important thing was to find her now. Gabe would work the case until Kendra was found. She knew very little about her husband anymore, but she’d seen the determination. She trusted him to find Kendra.
Gabe.
She was still married to him. She’d thought herself a widow. Only a few people even knew about him—her family of course, and a few close friends. And Benjamin Bradford. They’d entered into a mutually satisfying arrangement. Neither wanted a relationship with the other, but they’d wanted a private life. Though he hadn’t asked, Skylar had felt compelled to tell him the truth. She knew he wouldn’t tell anyone. Ben had his own secrets.
Learning that she was a widow had surprised him. But what shocked him even more were her reasons for wanting a pretend romance. Ben’s reasons had been his need to keep the identity of his girlfriend private. Skylar wanted a pretend romance because she wanted no romance at all. Ever again.
A year after Gabe’s supposed death, she had tried dating. Admittedly, most of them had been men her father had introduced to her, but she’d never found anyone she wanted a second date with. She’d even tried kissing one or two of them, but had never been able to take it further. The desire just wasn’t there. Not like it had been with Gabe.
An unwelcome and unexpected flush of heat enveloped her as she remembered Gabe’s lovemaking. It had been so wonderful, felt so good. Perfect. Closing her eyes, Skylar allowed herself to remember the most beautiful event in her life. Her first time with Gabe.
Eight years ago
Kalamina Island, South Pacific
An earth-shattering boom of thunder alerted the island that the daily rainstorm had come a bit early.
Strolling beside Gabe on the pathway toward the beach, she shot him a glance. “Looks like that swim will have to wait.”
He grabbed her hand and pressed a kiss to her palm. “Wonder what we can do instead?”
Shivers went through her body, a blend of excitement, anticipation, and apprehension. They hadn’t gone all the way yet, but she knew that soon neither one of them would be able to stop. Suddenly, Skylar was tired of waiting. Tired of her fear of the unknown.
Pulling her hand from his, she took a forward leap and shouted, “Race you home!”
Gabe’s laughter followed her as she ran toward his bungalow. His long legs could easily outrun hers, but he stayed several steps behind her. A hundred yards from his door, the heavens exploded and torrents of water washed over them.
Before she knew what was happening, Gabe came up beside her, scooped her up in one fluid movement, and kept on running. Skylar wrapped her arms around his neck and hung on.
At the bungalow, he took the steps two at a time and burst through the door. Dropping her to her feet, he said, “I’ll get us some towels.”
Skylar looked down at her swimsuit and grimaced. She was soaked. Making a quick decision she sincerely hoped she wouldn’t regret, she unhooked her swimsuit top, then pulled down her bottoms, dropping everything on the floor. Completely naked, she waited for Gabe.
Hearing a gasp, she whirled around. He stood at the bathroom door. He’d taken his shirt off and was holding a towel. As he walked slowly toward her, his eyes roamed over her body in a scorching caress Skylar felt to her core. She was already throbbing, aching for his touch.
“You’re even more beautiful than I imagined you would be.”
Though she had never posed nude, she’d had numerous photographs of her taken in swimsuits, but had never known uncertainty and vulnerability as she did now. Gabe’s words were a balm to an ego she hadn’t even known needed stroking.
As if he were touching something precious and fragile, his hand reached out and his finger barely touched her jutting nipple. Moaning at the delicate, erotic sensation, Skylar closed her eyes.
“Your nipples want my mouth on them, don’t they?”
Opening her eyes, she saw him staring at her nipple and it grew harder under his gaze.
“Please, Gabe.”
“What, Skye baby?”
“Put your mouth on me.”
“With pleasure.”
In an instant, hot breath bathed her nipple and then his mouth clamped down. A hard, delicious throb answered in her sex. Skylar weaved her fingers through his hair and held him against her breast. Three nights ago, he’d kissed her breasts for the first time, but it had felt nothing like this. A gasping sob escaped her as she felt one of his hands slowly caress her stomach and then stop at the top of her sex.
Gabe pulled away slightly. His breath hot against her skin, he whispered, “Open your legs for me, Skye.”
Her mind was no longer in control of her body; Gabe’s voice was. She felt her legs separate and then his hand was there, on her. H
is fingers, gentle and exploring, opened her folds and then a finger touched, caressed the part that throbbed, ached. Wanted.
“You’re soft and so wet down there. So hot and sweet.”
Those gravelly, sexy words caused shudders throughout her body. She opened her legs more and undulated against his probing fingers. Warm moisture seeped from her, easing his fingers deeper inside.
Gabe pulled from the breast he’d been nibbling and looked down at her. “Are you sure, Skye?”
“I’ve never been more sure of anything in my entire life.”
Though hunger as she’d never imagined was etched on his face, his words sought to reassure her, causing Skylar to love him all the more. “There’s no rush, no hurry. There’s never a time you tell me to stop and I won’t. Okay?”
“I love you so much, Gabe.”
Pressing a soft kiss to her mouth, he whispered, “Let’s get on the bed.” He nudged her gently into the bedroom, never taking his eyes from hers. When Skylar felt the edge of the bed against the back of her legs, she sat down. And before she knew it, Gabe was on his knees before her.
His expression one of awe, as though he was staring at the most beautiful sight in the world, he whispered, “Marry me.”
Her heart leaped for joy, and tears filled her eyes. “Yes, Gabe. Yes.”
A smile lifted his lips as he pulled her down and pressed a soft kiss to her mouth. “I’m going to love you past forever.” Then, pulling away from her, he parted her legs, spread her sex with his thumbs, and put his mouth on her. Skylar screamed. And then she came.
Gabe groaned and continued to devour until every drop of wetness was consumed and every throb had stopped. He pulled away slowly and looked up at her. Face flushed, eyes glittering hot, he whispered, “You’re delicious everywhere.”
Those growling words caused a deep, answering throb inside her. Eyes falling closed, she groaned at the sensation. And then she felt him there again. Nuzzling, nibbling, and then a deep, opened-mouth tongue thrust.
Swallowing screams of pleasure, Skylar held his head against her and endured ecstasy. After one last long slide of his tongue, Gabe rose to his feet and stripped off the rest of his clothes. Wishing she had energy to get up and help, Skylar could only lie there and enjoy watching him. His body was still thin, but had filled out quite a bit since she’d met him. Broad shoulders and a hard, slightly furred chest tapered to a narrow waist and a taut abdomen. Her eyes lowered farther and she let out a half gasp. She knew what a penis looked like—she wasn’t that clueless—but she’d never seen one aroused.
Gabe must have thought he’d scared her, because he said, “Remember, Skye. If you get scared at any time, just tell me to stop.”
Stop? She almost laughed, but figured that wasn’t the appropriate response. But there was no way in the world she would ever want him to stop. Get scared? With Gabe? It wasn’t possible.
Skylar pulled herself farther up on the bed and watched fascinated as he slid a condom over his hard length. Then he came over her and covered her mouth with his. She tasted herself on his tongue and she tasted Gabe; their flavors intermingled as their mouths devoured each other. And then she felt his hot, hard flesh probing at her. He pulled away and stared into her eyes as he eased into her.
A shaky gasp escaped her. It hurt … she couldn’t deny the sting, but it was the most beautiful, exciting pain in the world. When he was fully inside her, he whispered, “Let’s stay still, just for a moment, so you can get used to it.”
Her emotions overflowing with love for this beautiful, sexy, giving man, she could only nod. And then, when they were both close to explosion, Gabe began to move. Skylar threw her arms around him, wrapped her legs around his hips, and let herself go.
They’d made love three times that night and had married the next day. And never, ever had another man made her want to do anything remotely similar. Was she odd? Crazy? Undersexed? She didn’t know; didn’t care.
Swallowing a half snort, half sob, Skylar rolled over onto her stomach. Good thing, that. Since she would have been committing adultery if she had found someone else. And her father knew this. Knew she was still married. Had that even crossed his mind? Concerned him at all? His betrayal hurt almost more than anything. How could he have done this to her? To them?
Even after all these years, she still remembered the moment she read the suicide note she’d thought Gabe had left. She had been consumed not only with grief but also with guilt. How had she not seen his mental illness? Yes, there were days he’d had a darkness about him she found hard to penetrate, but she had never anticipated or guessed that darkness would consume him. Turned out it hadn’t.
The darkness had almost consumed her, though. And her father had been right there with her, comforting her, encouraging her. She’d thought him the most wonderfully compassionate man in the world. Had thought how fortunate she was to have such a loving, supportive family. Their love had sustained her, kept her sane when she had wanted to just give up.
And all the while, they’d had this knowledge. All the while, they could have given her the truth and allowed her peace. Instead, because of some sort of elitism or just pure, selfish arrogance, they’d decided Gabe wasn’t good enough for her. It had been easier for them to see her almost lose her mind … almost die … than to allow him into their family.
Just what kind of sick, screwed-up family did she have?
The sun had barely risen in the sky when Gabe ran up the stairs three at a time. Skye wasn’t answering the cellphone he’d given her or the phone in the room. He told himself she was most likely in the shower. After all, an LCR operative had watched her door all night and had reported nothing wrong. Still, he worried. He’d just now found her, damned if he would lose her again.
That thought almost pulled him to a halt. Worry overrode shock, so he kept going, but that didn’t stop the self-castigation. Lose her again? Hell, he’d never really had her. He’d married a young girl never knowing who she was. Their marriage had been a huge mistake. One that they would rectify very soon. Skye most assuredly felt the same way.
Reaching her door, he pounded hard.
When there wasn’t an immediate response, he cursed and pounded again. Dammit, why hadn’t he got an extra key? Ignoring the doors opening around him and heads peeking out to see what the noise was all about, Gabe backed up, preparing to ram the door. When it opened about an inch, he stalked toward it.
“Skye, are you all right?”
She pulled the door open with one hand while holding a towel around her naked, wet body. Holy hell.
“I’m fine. I was in the shower.”
“I’ve called you ten times in the last half hour.”
Her mouth tightened. “I take long showers.”
Gabe took in what he hadn’t noticed before. Puffy red eyes. She looked as though she’d been crying for hours.
“What’s wrong?”
“What’s right?”
Someone snickered behind him. He’d been so focused on Skye, he’d forgotten they had an audience. “Let me in.”
She backed away and allowed him inside. He closed the door and looked around the room.
She huffed out a breath. “There’s no one here but me.”
Gabe shrugged. “Habit.”
As if just realizing she wore nothing but a minuscule towel, she glanced down at herself and flushed. “I’ll get dressed.”
His tongue seemingly stuck to the roof of his mouth, Gabe could only nod as he watched her walk away. Every time he looked at her, he wanted to kiss her and hold her. The fact that they were married made it perfectly all right and absolutely not all right. A piece of paper did not a marriage make.
He took a quick inventory. Dishes from last night’s dinner still sat on the table. From the looks of it, she hadn’t eaten but a few bites. He checked his watch. They still had about forty-five minutes before they had to leave for the airport. Time enough for her to eat breakfast.
He picked up the phone and
dialed room service. Assured they’d put a rush on the meal, Gabe turned when he heard the bathroom door open.
Angela had missed her calling. She might be Noah’s receptionist but she was also damned good at selecting clothes for beautiful women. The midnight blue pantsuit hugged Skye’s slender frame, emphasizing every delicate curve to its best advantage. Eight years ago, Skye had been a lovely twenty-year-old, on the cusp of breathtaking beauty. She had achieved that promise of beauty and surpassed it. Today, she was a stunningly gorgeous, confident woman. Gabe swallowed hard. She was also sexy as hell.
“Who’s Ben?”
“What?”
Those blue eyes that had deepened to the color of her pantsuit flashed with confusion.
“Noah mentioned you’d been dating some guy named Ben.”
Her eyes went brighter. This time with temper. “Are you telling me you haven’t seen pictures of us together?”
“I don’t read stuff about you.”
“Why?”
He shrugged. “None of my business.”
For barely a second, he saw hurt reflected in her face. He hadn’t meant to be mean; it was just the truth. He did his dead-level best not to know who she was seeing, what she was doing. He hadn’t needed any more evidence that Skye didn’t give a damn that she was still a married woman.
When they’d first split, he’d bought every magazine and read every newspaper article he could get his hands on. Each one had only reconfirmed what he’d believed. What her father had perpetuated. Their marriage had been a mistake. Finally, after glutting himself on her extravagant lifestyle for three months, he’d avoided any kind of mention of her. Damn hard to do, since she seemed to be everywhere. She’d said she was devastated that he’d committed suicide. Her lifestyle sure as shit didn’t bear that out.
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